• Friday, May 17, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

‘Situation in Gabon, West Africa, a big issue for Europe’ – Borrell

2181BB86-0011-4C78-8A01-1A62B219C949

Josep Borrell, head of foreign policy for the European Union, said on Wednesday that the situation in Gabon will be discussed by the EU defence ministers and that, if a coup is verified, it would further destabilise the area.

After the state electoral commission declared President Ali Bongo had won a third term, a group of top Gabonese military soldiers emerged on national television early on Wednesday and claimed to have taken over.

Read also: Gabon coup: Rwanda, Cameroon carry out major changes in military

“If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region,”
Borrell said at a meetina of FU defence ministers in Toledo.

“If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region,” said Borrell, speaking at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Toledo.

Read also: UN, AU condemn Gabon Coup

“The whole area, starting with Central African Republic, then Mali, then Burkina Faso, now Niger, maybe Gabon, it’s in a very difficult situation and certainly the ministers … have to have a deep thought on what is going on there and how we can improve our policy in respect with these countries,” he said.

“This is a big issue for Europe,” Borrell added.

Read also: Gabon Coup: Why we removed Ali Bongo – Army